The World Health Organization marked World Tuberculosis Day Sunday by unveiling a year-long campaign to stop the spread of the deadly disease, which kills two million people each year. 

The WHO chose the theme "Stop TB, Fight Poverty" to stress the point that fighting the air-borne disease can lead to greater global prosperity. Public health officials estimate $1-billion is needed to treat patients and control the tuberculosis epidemic in 22 countries that account for most cases worldwide. 

Officials say there is an inexpensive treatment, which could prevent most deaths. They say the new treatment has cured an average of 80 percent of TB patients in Africa, Asia and Latin America. 

Tuberculosis is mainly a disease of the developing world, but a WHO expert on TB, Petra Heitkamp, says it is making a comeback in wealthy, industrialized nations. Ms. Heitkamp attributes the resurgence, in part, to new drug-resistant strains of the disease. 

Tuberculosis is spread when infected people cough, sneeze or talk, propelling the bacteria into the air for others to inhale. 

The symptoms of tuberculosis include: sweating, fatigue, shortness of breath, fever, cough and weight loss. 

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